DEVOTIONAL
A Life Without Limits
By Gail Casteen
CBN Staff Writer
CBN.com
-- What if we lived life without limits? I don't mean without boundaries,
but without LIMITS!
If we are living a life of confinement and limitation, we should ask ourselves,
"how did it happen?" The Bible talks about what we CAN do, not what
we CANNOT do! But haven't we (Christians) made it that way? We have misunderstood
or misused His Word to create limits on our lives. It's as if we have restricted
the very life Jesus lived, died, and lives again to provide!
I used to watch my tiny son run and play. He knew his boundaries (stay in
the yard) but he knew no limits. He was too young to understand why he had
scars running from his throat down past his manmade 'belly button.' He was
not even aware they existed … the scars were normal for him. He was not
aware that he was born with an open heart and an open abdomen.
He knew he loved to run, and run he did! The fact that he had three abdominal
surgeries, open-heart surgery, and four emergency hospitalizations in his
first year of life did not stop him. In his mind, there were no limits.
How like God to create us that way. We ALL have scars of some sort. It is
sad to say, but physical scars and emotional scars are part of life. On the
up side of that, scars are stronger than the wounded area was originally.
That is why, for Christ's sake, we should delight in weaknesses, in insults,
in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I
am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)
We do not have to be limited by our scars, nor do we have to be limited by
what we THINK God is telling us that we cannot or should not do.
When I was a kid, I made up a game called 'What if?' It went something like
this … What if I could fly? Then I could see the WHOLE world! What if
I could run forever? Then I could visit every state in the contiguous 48!
What if I didn't have to take the time to sleep or eat? Then I could get so
many more things accomplished. When you take a good look at it, I was saying,
"What if I did not have any limits?" My "then" side of
the equation would be, I can life to the max!"
My question is this, "in what way has God limited us?"
He gave us His love. He gave us His Son to pay the way for us. And He gave
us His Holy Spirit to empower us to live out our lives doing His will. Where
are the limits? We have the permission, the ticket, and the power to take
the trip. So let's GO!
Let's live motivated purely by His Love. Let's walk the paths of our lives
directed by His eye. Let's overrule fear, guilt, and doubt by heeding His
voice. Let's allow Him to teach us how to conduct our lives on His terms.
He has empowered us to accomplish what is good and right and lovely. Let's
get His perspective and run with it.
It makes sense to live within the boundaries He sets for our safety and well
being. But what if we took the limits off our love? What if we weren't so
guarded in our relationships? What if we weren't afraid of failure or of success?
What if we tapped into His wisdom? What if we were instantly obedient to His
prompting? What if we shared an encouraging word with a hurting person? What
if we dared pray for someone's healing even though we didn't feel like we
had the faith? The list is endless isn't it?
With complete abandon, God has given us life beyond measure. Jesus said it.
"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36)
He was anointed to "preach good news to the poor." He was sent to
"proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
(Luke 4:18-19) If we live unlimited lives, wouldn't it stand to reason that
others would be impacted and changed?
I clearly remember those days when my son ran to his heart's content. He
is a young adult now, and he is my constant reminder that we serve a God who has
given us limitless access to Him. He has empowered us with His Spirit to live
life beyond limits.
Send Gail your e-mail comments.
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